Company says medical helicopter pilot suffered fatal heart attack
Published 10:25 pm Thursday, December 26, 2019
The pilot of a helicopter ambulance suffered an apparent heart attack before crash-landing at an Alabama airport, company officials said Thursday.
Survival Flight says pilot Doug Davis nearly landed normally, but the craft rolled onto its side at the last moment on Christmas Day in Headland, Alabama.
Ïn a statement, the company said “we have no doubt that Doug saved the lives of our two crew members and perhaps others with his final act.”
Two crew members aboard were not injured, authorities said.
The helicopter was returning from a cancelled flight and was not carrying any patients, authorities said.
Davis most likely suffered a heart attack, Henry County Coroner Derek Wright told news outlets. An autopsy is pending.
The chopper was about 30 feet (9 meters) from the landing pad when it crashed, Headland police Chief Mark Jones said.
Authorities didn’t immediately release the identities of the other crew members.